First off, to anyone who has left comments on previous blog posts or emailed me privately, I owe you a huge apology for responding late. That was a shitty thing to do. Yes, I said shitty. Because it was. And sure, I’ve been very burned out and busy this year, but that’s no excuse. So I promise to keep up from now on, starting with this injury update!

For those visiting because you’ve been diagnosed with a plantar plate tear, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this tough injury! You’re in my prayers and I hope my experience is both helpful and hopeful. Here’s some previous posts I’ve written about my PPT. And if you haven’t already, DO NOT get a cortisone shot, okay? That treatment for plantar plate tears is outdated and can lead to your ligament being ruptured, so if your current doctor recommends this … get another doctor.

I’m so serious.

The Joyful Miles blog, YouTube channel, podcast, and other sites provides general information about fitness, health, and related subjects based on our own experiences. We are not doctors, registered dietitians, or fitness experts. Our content is not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. When it comes to your health and fitness, do your research and consult your doctor.

It’s astonishing how many people I’ve heard from who have had further complications after getting a cortisone shot. This makes me use language much stronger than shitty. Sure, it might be okay for other injuries, but a PPT? Nope. Just say no to drugs.

Moving on. (With no more shitties, I promise.)

Now, in my PPT: The Full Scoop post back in April, 2017, I covered everything from the beginning up me seeing a orthodist. In this post, I’ll cover what’s happened since then, some of which I chatted about in this June, 2017 video. So let’s get to it!

One thing I’ve mentioned before is how I knew, to the core of my soul, that I would not need surgery. Thankfully, this prediction turned out to be true. I have been able to completely heal using conservative treatment such as:

It took a while to get to this point, however. A total of eleven months from injury to my first run. If you’ve been recently diagnosed with a PPT, this news will be upsetting. It was upsetting for me as well when I first learned that it’s taken up to a year for others to heal. But there are no typical results. Some people were able to return to running after only a few months. Some were operated on and have never been able to run again. Some have had great success with the surgery and went back to running marathons with no problem. Everyone is different but one thing remains the same:

A plantar plate tear is one frustrating bugger of a rare injury.

By March 2017, my frustration had grown to epic proportions and I was battling a pretty nasty case of depression. My running friends tried to be sympathetic but I got the sense that they had grown tired of this topic and I was becoming a reminder of their own injury fears. So I did my best to smile and continue doing Joyful Miles duties: writing, vlogging, and taping running podcasts even though I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to run again. I did my best to be okay.

Sometimes I was successful. Sometimes I wasn’t. Sometimes friends were sympathetic. Sometimes they weren’t.

Which reminds me. I really need to write a post on “Things to Never Say to an Injured Runner,” because, good God, I’ve heard some doozies. For example, don’t ever say, “Well, at least now you have more time to [insert activity.]

Seriously?

Moving on.

Then after a few more frustrating weeks, I started to wonder if my constant foot pain was from my PPT injury or from my foot being immobile for so long due to taping and wearing stiff inserts. I wondered if pain was something I’d always have to deal with or if I still needed more recovery time.

So I contacted my second doctor and requested another MRI. He later called with good news: I no longer had signs of a tear, my bone edema had healed, and I had no fractures, etc. But then he said something that nearly knocked me on my rear.

“I’m not convinced you ever had a PPT to begin with.”

Huh? What the heck was that supposed to mean, and WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TREATING ME FOR???? Has he totally forgotten that my first MRI did, in fact, mention in no uncertain terms that there was a partial tear?? I was too astonished to say any of this, however. And I could tell by his tone that he didn’t care anyway. He just informed me that he was leaving his practice and referred me to Dr. Stuart Miller of MedStar Health.

Dr. Miller was the doctor I had initially tried to make an appointment with him back in September, 2016, but the receptionist I had spoken with said he only saw patients who were ready for surgery. This turned out to not be true … which was very irksome, but okay, whatever, let’s move on. I was just thrilled to finally be able to see him and having an appointment with him gave me a feeling of true hope.

This hope was confirmed in our first appointment. Dr. Miller said that my second doctor did put me on the right track for recovery by recommending taping, Hokas, etc. He also told me I was very smart to turn down the cortisone shot my first doctor had recommended, seeing as how that treatment is outdated and can lead to the ligament being ruptured. He then recommended me giving my custom orthotics another chance. I had received them back in April but hated them. HATED THEM!! They felt unnatural and uncomfortable and made my foot and knees ache after wearing them for only twenty minutes so I couldn’t even imagine running in them.

Another thing Dr. Miller pointed out was how my calves had become VERY stiff and tight, (especially my left one,) due to months of limited use and me walking with a limp. Imagine if you will walking without rolling your foot and staying flat-footed. By doing so, you walked stiff-legged, and after doing so for nine months, it really wrecked havoc on my entire body.

He recommended that I stretch my calves and legs at least eight times a day. Dr. Miller also wanted me to start using my foot more and work my way back to normal slowly. I still didn’t have clearance to run, but it was a huge step forward! And then six weeks later at our next appointment, I finally heard what I’ve been praying for: YOU CAN RUN!!!

Oh my gosh.

Talk about amazing!

In the parking lot, I called Bob, called my parents, and then sent a message to Jackey and Rob with the good news. It seemed to shock them a little, as though they, too, didn’t know if this news would never come.

Now, I couldn’t just hit the roads like all was normal, however. It took a lot of work before that happened! My left foot had become so stiff and inflexible that I could barely lift my toes off the ground while standing. So the first I had to do was to stop wearing my carbon graphite insert and to start treating my foot as though it were normal. I also had to learn how to walk without a limp. My husband gave me a great trick that helped: Walk with your buttocks tightened. Sounds simple, but that really worked! He also would tell me when I was limping and on my daily walks, there were some times when he’d open the door and holler, “STOP LIMPING!”

I also had to get my body back in alignment since everything had been feeling out of whack! I did a lot of yoga and PiYo, (lower body is my favorite since it has great stretches for runners.) I also had to condition my body again. Doing spin classes on my stationary bike was great for this!

Another action I took that was extremely helpful were the feet strengthening exercises shown on this video from The Run Experience. It took a long time before I could walk on my toes, though, so I skipped them at first!

After a few weeks, I was finally walking normally again and on July 5, 2017, I went for my very first run in eleven months. ELEVEN MONTHS!! Oh my gosh, I was so out of shape and couldn’t do more than 30 second run intervals, but that didn’t matter. I was RUNNING!!! I was so happy that I (foolishly) couldn’t help but do a #JoyfulJumpshot while being careful to land on my healthy foot. (Still – I don’t recommend this.)

For the next few months, running intervals have been an amazing way to ease me back into my normal running style. I was beginning to feel hopeful that running the Dopey Challenge in January 2018 was very possible!

Then October, 2017 happened.

I woke one morning feeling the exact same pain on my left foot’s second metatarsal area that I had on my injured left foot. It’s quite common for those who have had a PPT to get another in their opposite foot, so this was obviously quite devastating. THANK GOODNESS I had already made a follow-up appointment with Dr. Miller two weeks from then. Until then, I put my Dopey training on hold by doing no running and absolutely babying my left foot.

Thankfully, it was not a tear. He said it was from continued tightness in my calves which was a surprise. I thought I had been doing enough to gain more flexibility but apparently not. So afterward, I tripled my stretching and did a lot more yoga to help. This sidetracked my Dopey training quite a bit, so I also did lots of biking in order to get my conditioning back up.

By January, the farthest run I had done was ten miles but I survived all four runs and earned that gorgeous medal! And a couple of weeks ago, I finished the Frederick Half Marathon in 02:03, making me feel for the first time in a long time as back in running form.

So now what?

I am conscious, every single day, that just because I have managed to recover from one PPT doesn’t mean it can’t happen to me again. I’m not saying this to be negative, just realistic. So it’s important for me, (and you, too,) to take every step possible to remain injury-free, such as:

Walking for at least five minutes before each run as a warm-up.

Doing five minutes worth of dynamic stretches, such as knee lifts, butt kicks, and toy soldier kicks before runs as well.

Tracking my shoe mileage.

Stretching thoroughly after each workout.

Doing lots of yoga and PiYo to increase flexibility.

Rolling, using The Stick, and my CAS daily. (Some folks have the pricey BFF: The Miracle Body Buffer. I bought a $20.00 car polisher from Wal-Mart and named it my CAS: Cheap Ass Friend … and it works great!)

I’ve also noticed that my Hoka shoes won’t last as long. The average mileage for running shoes is 300 to 500, but even without orthotics, Hokas tend to break down faster due to their heavy cushioning. With stiff orthotics like mine, they must be retired much sooner, at around 200 to 300 miles. This costs more, but hey. I don’t care as long as I can run!

Another thing I had to do was shake off the coulda, woulda, shoulda. Maybe I could have returned to running much sooner but I mistook my pain as injury and not stiffness. Maybe I would have healed much sooner had I insisted on making an appointment with Dr. Miller rather than see my first nightmare doctor. Maybe I should have been more careful in the first place in order to avoid injury.

But coulda, woulda, shoulda is a waste of time.

And I did many things right, like saying no to the cortisone shot. And those extra healing months might have set me up for a lifetime of running whereas hitting the road too soon could have brought me back to square one.

It is what it is, folks. I’m grateful to God for my recovery and I’m moving on.

So there you have it, my injury update! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I promise to do a better job keeping up. And finally, if you are dealing with a plantar plate tear yourself … that really sucks. I’m praying for your speedy recovery so you can get back on the road, doing what you love!

Take care and thanks for reading!

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About the author:
Laura is a writer, runner, reader, runDisney addict, blogger, vlogger, wife to an amazing guy for 26 years, mom of two wonderful boys, excellent chili maker, and obsessive list keeper. She still thinks Spice World was an awesome movie and feels no shame about that plus she can quote most lines from Talladega Nights. Shake and bake!

Thank you for sharing your story! It is hard to be an injured runner!! I have been sidelined from running for the last four months due to a really nasty sprained ankle. Last week was the first time I could run intervals without pain. Yay!!! I am a little paranoid about reinjury, so I will definitely check out the feet/ankle strengthening link you posted.

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you Joyful Miles! I love the podcast, videos, and blogs! So informative, entertaining, and inspiring! 😊

Sorry about your injury but I’m so happy that you’re back out there running! It’s such a great feeling. Those strengthening exercises (and so much more on Run Experience) will help … I need to do more!

Thanks also for your lovely comment about JM! We’re all so glad our content has been helpful. 🙂

Hi Laura…I am dealing with the same injury. Unfortunately I had a cortisone shot and now am worried about rupturing but am going to soldier on. I too feel like surgery is not the best choice (my brother is an orthotist) and will be getting new orthotics and am going to do whatever I can to help this heal. I’m 6 months in. Tanks for the blog!

Hi Tori, my apologies for the hideously late response! How are you doing now? I’m hoping and praying that you’ve had some relieve in the past couple of months with no signs of rupture. Be sure to give me an update and sorry you’re dealing with this frustrating injury!

Laura, thank-you for starting these posts and for continuing to update us on your journey back to running. I have been dealing with this injury (at least I’m now convinced it is PPT) since November 2017. I stumbled upon your post about 6 weeks ago and it was the first I have heard of this injury which seemed to perfectly describe my symptoms. I began reading everything I could find on it and then tried the taping technique. Voila! The first pain free walking in about 6 months. I’ve seen doctors, sports medicine practitioners, physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, podiatrists, osteopaths and no one ever mentioned this. I’ve had X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs and nothing provided a definitive diagnosis. Unfortunately one of the first things I was treated with was a steroid injection and BAM! my pain went from low grade to high grade. I tried a PRP injection. No go. Laser therapy. Nope. Ultrasound treatments and everything else that was being suggested and nothing helped except 25 cents worth of tape. Wow! I’m glad you got your condition under control and are back to running. It gives me a lot of hope. I’ve just started my 6 week walking boot journey and see where things are from there. Custom orthotics will probably follow. But that’s okay as long as I get to run again. Thanks again for sharing and giving me hope.

First off, my apologies for the late response. I’ve been doing a horrible job keeping up!

Second, OH MY GOODNESS, you have truly been through the ringer with this frustrating injury! Wow, I was getting tired just reading everything you’ve had done. I’m really sorry about your injury and pray you’ll continue to heal and get back out there on the road soon. You are probably out of the boot by now, so I will say it’s very important to stretch your calves and stay flexible. My remaining occasional foot pain is from tight calves and not rolling/stretching enough.

Hi Laura! Thanks for responding to my post. I have been taping still and being cautious with the running and so far so good. I also started running in hokas which are stiffer and got new orthotics. I am building up mileage for a half. I’m leery of much speed training so I am being careful. I think I had a partial tear for a long time, and I may have ruptured when I had the acute injury happen. So…I am hoping to stay pain free and have been crosstraining too. I’m optimistic now. Goal is never have surgery.

I just had my 1 year injury anniversary (did NOT celebrate that!). Mine was a fully ruptured PP in my big toe, the result of my flip flop coming apart at the exact instant that I was running up a stair and bam, toe collided with stair. Despite the fact that I could barely squeeze my swollen foot into my shoe, I went for an 8 mile hike the next day by walking on the side of my foot. Dumb! First ortho diagnosed a torn joint capsule & put me in a boot for 2 months, then PT. After a few weeks of PT, my therapist said there is something else going on because I could not make my toe move in the least little bit. I finally had an MRI which diagnosed the full tear and I went back in the boot for a total of 5 months, then went to Hokas. My foot would swell like a balloon every day until just recently. I am just now able to move my toe a little bit and can go on short hikes, and I’m working with a trainer who is getting me back in shape. I couldn’t even spin due to pain. It is such a frustrating injury, and like you, I gained weight and suffered from depression. Training is helping, and I hope to get back to running intervals soon. Thanks for sharing your story!

Oh my gosh, so sorry to hear about your injury!!!! Yes, it’s so frustrating, especially when it takes a long time to diagnosis exactly what is going on. At least now you are on the path to recovery with a plan. Praying you’re back on the road soon and feeling normal again!!! You’ll get there. 🙂

My girlfriend hurt her second mtp joint when walking on the beach and stepped on a rock. We think the trauma aggravated two previous surgeries. Sometimes after she walks on it a lot during the day, at the end of the day she will have pain that is a 8-9. She had a recent diagnosis of a plantar plate tear. They scheduled her for a guided cortisone shot. She might change her mind. Please visit her website. More to follow. Thanks, Laura!

Thanks for sharing your story. No longer a runner, but an avid hiker. Am 4 months into this injury journey and recently diagnosed by MRI with partial tear. Now getting second opinion. Truly helps to read of your journey, as it is so tough to decondition like this and not succumb to the blues. Soldiering on.

OTG all of you have posted! I was just diagnosed via MRI with a full tear in the 3rx PP….sighhhh. Was dxd as a neuroma almost a year ago and followed by a cortisone injection. Got better for a while and now it’s worse 🙁 So I see my ortho surgeon next week for a follow-up oh, and now I am armed with much more information! I am an athlete, only in the fact that I remain very active 64 year old nurse, LOL. And being sidelined, as I have a sprain on my other foot, has been admittedly very depressing. But, I’m anxious to move onward and get better, because I don’t plan to slow down anytime soon. Thank you all again.

Hello to all and I’m sorry for all those going through this. I started having pain in my left foot in October and was eventually diagnosed with a PPT. I’m not a runner but was walking 3 miles a day around the time it happened. It started hurting one afternoon upon getting up from watching a movie at the theater; very bizarre because it never hurt that day at work or anytime before. Unfortunately I’ve had a cortisone shot and was told to wear metatarsal pads. My right foot started hurting so I put the pad in that shoe too. My orthopedist is supposed to be one of the best but I’m not seeing it. He only suggests met pads or a boot. The injection was given prior to my MRI because he said I could have a neuroma which would resolve with cortisone. Getting to the point, after all that you’ve been through and looking back now, do you suggest wearing a boot? If changing shoes (Hokas), wearing carbon graphite inserts, and using met pads had to be done after all that time, was wearing the boot even useful/worth it? Or could you have bypassed the boot all together. I’ve been having plantar fasciitis in the same foot since 2009 and it took years to recover. Wearing a boot, for me at least, hindered my healing process. I’m also worried about carbon graphite inserts and if they can interfere with PF. Any advice would be great! Thanks and I’ll keep all of you in my prayers.

Ugh, sorry to hear about your diagnosis and I’m praying for your full recovery!! As for whether or not I felt wearing the boot was with it … that’s hard to say. There’s no way to know how truly effective any of the individual recovery steps I took, especially since I’m not a doctor with medical knowledge. All I know is that I’m now healthy and running again so I’d repeat every step, including wearing the boot! Best of luck to you and be sure to check in again with an update!

Laura, I’d have to agree 100%. I found that wearing the walking boot took enough pressure and stress off the foot that it was able to heal when all other interventions failed. It’s been 7 months post recovery for me now and I’m still not having any foot pain and beginning a Marathon training plan. Glad I stumbled on your post last June or I’m sure I’d still be limping and seeking answers.

Oh wow, I absolutely LOVE hearing you’re now recovered and training for a marathon! That’s awesome news and I’m so happy my experience has helped you. Best of luck and let me know how the marathon goes!

Thanks Laura for responding! I’m currently wearing Hoka Arahi’s (Arahi 2) thanks to your suggestion. They’re not the cutest or most comfortable, but they are allowing me to walk without limping. It took the pressure off the painful area which is the goal. Going from Brooks Adrenaline to this is hard to get used to. I just wish they had a black/gray color so I can wear them with dressier clothes. I do have 2 questions!
1. What are you wearing now? Shoe, insert etc?
2. What dress shoe were you wearing when you were healing or did you have to wear the Arahi with everything like I’m doing?

Oh yeah, Hokas aren’t the most attractive shoe out there! Thank goodness the Arahis are the least offensive and that you’re getting some relief from them. I do still use a custom orthodic with a high bump up that takes pressure off my metatarsal joints but I no longer need metatarsal pads or other inserts. Whew! As for dress shoes … I work from home so I’m mostly in socks or flip flops. 😉 I can wear boots and heels without pain but I try to limit high heels since they can wreck havoc on Achilles. For every day sneakers, I’m loving my Sketchers with lots of cushioning!

Thank you for your blog. I just received a diagnosis for a planter plate tear, they put me in a walking boot, I really am miserable and I have been researching other options, I would like to run again (I just went to the drs I have been running on this injury for awhile); I was researching tapping my toes instead of the boot. The doctor does not want me to spin anymore either. What can I do? I am still very upset about this and I am reading everything I can on a quick recovery.
Thanks!

Karissa,
As I haven’t fully recovered and it’s not my blog, all I can do is give advice based on my personal experience. I’m currently in physical therapy and I’m walking in rocker bottom tennis shoes; Hoka Arahi. I got the idea from Laura but my therapist recommended them. I’m trying PT first because I tend to heal better when mobile as opposed to being immobile. I’ve also purchased the carbon fiber insoles Laura recommended but haven’t actually used them yet. At least not outside my house. They are very rigid and are similar to a walking boot especially if inserted in a rocker bottom shoe so that’s one option for you. Perhaps after the boot you’ll be healed or if not 100% you could try wearing rocker bottom shoes. I wear New Balance insoles that are very cushioned inside my Hokas because I also have Plantar Fasciitis issues as well. If you try the carbon fiber insole then you definitely need a cushioned insert to go on top of it because it’s hard. I’m praying that PT and the Hokas will work for me. It’s helped a good bit and I can walk better. I’m still “babying” my foot but therapy has helped me walk better . My toes were getting so stiff from not bending them so my PT did dry needling which made a drastic difference. I still have pain in that one area where the tear is but it’s way better. It’s been 4.5 months now but I’m hopeful. Foot injuries take time to heal so my therapist isn’t surprised that the pain is still present. Unfortunately I myself may need a boot if the pain persists or I’ll try the carbon fiber insoles. The problem with the carbon fiber is that they make my shoes tight in the toe box so I’m hesitant to trying them. I will pray for you because I know how depressing it is to have foot pain. People have no idea. Just give it time; it will heal. Consider PT after the boot. This will help with tight muscles / strengthen your foot.

Welcome to Joyful Miles! We’re Jackey and Laura, two runners and BibRave Pros who became great friends through runDisney events and share the belief that life’s too short to hide your crazy. Here’s where we chat about running, fitness, runDisney, healthy living, and enjoying life one mile at a time!

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PODCAST NEWS: In case you haven’t listened to our latest episode, we’re taking a podcast break for the summer in order to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge! We’ll be back in September with lots to chat about. Until then, have an AMAZING summer and thanks for your support! 😘☀️⛱ #JoyfulMiles #podcast #takeabreak
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